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PRESENTATION POISE Posture· Stand up straight but not stiff. · Point your feet toward the audience with your weight evenly distributed. · Don’t place your weight on one hip, then shift to the other. · Shifting can distract the audience. Movement· Move to the side or front of the podium to get nearer the audience. · When no podium is available, stay within 4-8 feet of the front row. · Don’t stay in one spot but don’t pace either. An occasional step to either side, or even a half-step towards the audience for emphasis, can enhance your presentation. · Stay close, stay direct, and stay involved with your audience. Shoulder Orientation· Keep your shoulders oriented toward the audience. This becomes critical when using visual aids. · You will have to angle away from the audience sometimes, but it should not be more than 45 degrees. · Don’t speak unless you have eye contact with the audience. · Don’t talk to your visual aid. Gestures· Learn to gesture in front of an audience exactly as you would if you were having an animated conversation with a friend-nothing more, nothing less. · Using natural gestures will not distract from a presentation; however, doing one of the following certainly will; so avoid: 1. Keeping your hands in your pocket 2. Keeping your hands handcuffed behind your back 3. Keeping your arms crossed or flapping 4. Wringing your hands nervously Eye Contact · The rule of thumb for eye contact is 1-3 seconds per person. Try not to let your eyes dart around the room. · Try to focus on one person, not long enough to make that individual feel uncomfortable, but long enough to pull him or her into your presentation. Then move on to another person. · Good eye contact helps establish and build rapport. It involves the audience and reduces the speaker’s feeling of isolation. Voice · Learn to listen to yourself; stay aware not only of what you are saying but also how you are saying it. A suggestion would be to videotape your presentation and critique it. · Monotone: Anxiety usually causes monotone voices. The muscles in the chest and throat tighten up and become less flexible, and airflow is restricted. The voice then loses its natural animation and monotone results. You must relax and release tension. Upper and lower body movement is vital. · Talking too fast: When we become anxious, the rate of speech usually increases. Articulation is what is important. Sometimes when you talk too fast you trip over words. Breathe and slow down. Listen for the last word of a sentence, and then proceed to your next sentence. Pausing can be very effective in a presentation. This allows important points to sink in. Sometimes the audience needs a period of silence to digest what you are saying. · Volume: Practice will solve most problems in volume. Have a person who will give you a straight answer listen to your presentation from the back of the room. Ask that person if you can be heard, if you trail off the end of a sentence, if lack of volume makes you sound insecure, or if you are speaking too loudly. Excerpts From: Mandel, Steve. Effective Presentation Skills: A Practical Guide for Better Speaking. Menlo Park, CA: Crisp Publications, Inc., 1993. |
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